Friday, March 16, 2007

Planning Ahead for your Cruise of a Lifetime..

Why Alaska?
How do i get there?
How much should I budget?
Will I get seasick?

What if i get bored whilst still at sea?

Those questions are just the tip of the iceberg.

Cruise to Alaska
Photo Image © Karen Toh

Before you decide that you want to take a cruise to Alaska, you need to do some research. Here’s a checklist:

What itinerary options can I chose from?
If you want you to travel into the interior of Alaska, you’ll need to embark from Vancouver or embark from Anchorage and disembark at Vancouver.

The US Passenger Services Act of 1886 requires that only US flag and US-built vessels can be used to carry passengers between two US ports, but it allows foreign-flag vessels to pick up and drop off passengers while calling at a single US port. Since most large cruise ships are registered in countries such as the Bahamas, Bermuda, Panama and in the UK, most cruises choose to start Alaska and end in Vancouver, or vice versa.

What itinerary options can I chose from?
If you want you to travel into the interior of Alaska, you’ll need to embark from Vancouver or embark from Anchorage and disembark at Vancouver.

The US Passenger Services Act of 1886 requires that only US flag and US-built vessels can be used to carry passengers between two US ports, but it allows foreign-flag vessels to pick up and drop off passengers while calling at a single US port. Since most large cruise ships are registered in countries such as the Bahamas, Bermuda, Panama and in the UK, most cruises choose to start Alaska and end in Vancouver, or vice versa.

Inside Passage itinerary: Vancouver => Ketchikan => Juneau รจ Skagway => Glacier Bay National Park => Prince William Sound and College Fjord => Anchorage (7 nights)

North/South Bound Itenerary: Vancouver => Haines => Skagway =>Valdez =>Seward (7 nights)

There are also round trip 7 night cruises that leave from Seattle and Vancouver which relatively cheaper, and some of them feature the glacier exploration.

Do note that not all Alaskan cruises visit Glacier Bay or the historic gold-rush town of Skagway, or even head as far north as Seward, so do check the ports of call before you sign up for the cruise.

If you’re the seagoing type, prefer open waters, then you should opt for the north or southbound itineraries.

When should you make this journey?
You can only go between April to September. The resorts in the interior start shutting down from September onwards as winter sets in.

Early and late in the season means that the weather will be cold, chilly and wet (most of the time). If you’re planning to go during this season, make sure you have the right attire! Plus, you need to remember one thing – in Alaska, spring only lasts about 2 weeks before Summer sets in. In spring, the grounds are starting to thaw, and you’ll get first glimpse of all things new.. new sprigs, calves, cubs, etc.

Late May through to August is summer. Hot weather, the best days in Alaska, but don’t forget the mosquitoes.. trust me, they’re as big as a house! In the summer, you’ll see all kinds of wildlife roaming around, feeding, so that they can fatten up for the winter months. I believe mating season also takes place.

Which cruise ship company should I select?
It all depends on individual preferences. Smaller ships are able to get closer to the shore, this means that you stand a better chance of spotting wild life without binoculars. Larger ships have disadvantages as they have to stay further away where the water is deeper.

However, there are pro and cons for both types of vessels. The larger mainstream vessels like Princess Cruises, Holland America, Celebrity Cruises cater for the seagoing experience. This means that they have better facilities – which translate to better service, more food choices, more room to roam around on board, and loads of activities. These ships also offer more entertainment options on board – casinos, nightly shows, lectures on wilderness, shopping, and so on. They even invite trained naturalist and special guest speakers on board, like the Iditarod champion.

However, bigger ships means more people so much so you have to queue for everything – food, disembarking and embarking at Ports of Call, or having an early dinner so that you can catch the evening shows. Dinners are formal, and they take this seriously, so unless you want to have the buffet dinner – you dress up, of feel underdressed!

The smaller ships I suppose are “cosier”, you get to know your fellow passengers, especially if you are a single traveler.

As one of the pioneers of Alaska, Princess has one of the two largest state owned land operations that offer an array of shore excursions and land-cruise tours. They are rivaled only by Holland America.

These mainstream cruise companies have better deals on ground, at the ports of calls – better discounts when shopping, more choices in excursion packages, and they’re better coordinated.

Oh yeah, the better cruise companies have better port docking deals.. your ship will dock right at the harbour, where as the smaller ones will have to transport passengers by a smaller boat. You’ll need to take that into consideration if you have elderly and disabled family members.

Princess and Holland America have special domed trains that take you into the interior – these are private cabins, so they’re well kept, but mind that you’ll be crammed up like sardines. Every single space will be allocated, and your journey to Denali from Anchorage may take up to 10 hours.

What sort of cabins do I chose?
You need to consider this carefully as to what will make you comfortable during your time at sea (which depends on your itinerary that you’ve chosen)

The cabins that have no windows are the cheapest, but this will depend also on the size of the cabin, the location of the cabin (front or back), and on the deck.

So, if you’d like to have a balcony, you may have to pay a higher rate, than the guy who doesn’t have a balcony, just a porthole.

Will it make a difference if you have no view? Only if you’re claustrophobic. If you’re an active person and intends to be up and about all day, your room will only be a place to sleep. There are so many activities on board the ship while the ship is at sea. Many people hang out at the dining areas, the swimming pool, the deck, otherwise they’ll be engaged in some other activity – casino, at the bar, on board games, etc.

If you’re a person that like his/her creature comforts, and the privacy of your room, then you’ll have to pay a premium for the space and window/balcony. Believe me, it is worthwhile, especially if the cruise is your “once in a lifetime” adventure, the cabin with balcony makes a difference. Then again, it depends which side your cabin is in. If you’re heading north, and you want to see the view of the mainland, then your cabin should be on the right. This will allow you an occasional view of a sunset.

Can I get discounts?
If you plan ahead and book 4 months ahead of the sail date, you should be able to get a discount. You should also look out for promotions through the internet, but look out for the Port of Calls offered. Remember, if you sail from Seattle, it will be a round trip back to Seattle without reaching either Anchorage nor Seward.

What if I’m prone to seasickness?
If you or your companion is prone to seasickness, choose the Inside Passage itinerary.

Most large cruise ships have a sophisticated system to keep the ship stable. At the most, you’ll have to take one seasickness pill ahead of time – the captain will tell his passengers before they hit the open seas.

What excursions can I and my family take?
Most cruise companies have a list of excursions that you can choose from, even before you decide on signing up for a cruise with them. Check these out first, to see which suits you best. The activities start on your first port of call. These companies will have listed only the packages that will suit the disembarkation and embarkation times, so don’t worry, you won’t miss the trip, nor will you miss the boat, unless you do some extra shopping and you’re late!

Examples of excursions range from helicopter rides with landings on the glacier, to fishing, to meeting the dog musher and their sled dogs. There are a range of activities to suit all ages, except maybe the toddlers, but I believe, the larger ships have day care centers too – so check out the facilities if you intend to bring your kids!

If budget is an issue and you intend to save money by not disembarking at the Port of Calls, please check with your agent as most automatically include the fee charged for disembarkation.

However if you intend to go exploring on your own, do take note of what time the ship sets sail, and plan to be back at least an hour before then. If you are planning to go hiking, find out how long the trail takes. Even if you are planning to go shopping, make sure you have a watch that keeps accurate timing. All the other people around you may be from other ships, so people come and go like the tide, so you can’t rely on the crowd to thin during peak seasons.

What can I do when I reach Anchorage?
You’ll need to plan ahead before you book your cruise – if you plan to tour the interior, you’ll want to sign up for a land tour package with cruise line. They offer a variety of packages to allow you to explore the various sites – Denali National Park, Mount McKinley, Fairbanks, Anchorage itself, and more.

If you like wildlife, do not miss the Denali National Park. This is the final wilderness frontier, where the wildlife roam freely without fear, and where few humans are allowed to interact with the wild. Climb on board one of the wilderness tour busses on a 6 hour journey into the park – you’ll be amazed at the things you see from the bus – Moose, Caribou, Black Bear, Brown Bears or Grizzlies, Wolves, Dall Sheep, a variety of birds and other smaller animals.

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